Epcot International Food & Wine Festival: Sip and savor your way around the world

Preview

I have eaten more than my fair share of haggis growing up with a Scottish grandmother whose brogue was as thick as shortbread cookie batter.

But even I winced when I heard that sheep parts might be served at this year's Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which begins Friday, Sept. 27 and runs through Nov. 11. The marketplace kiosks include 200items, withmore than 30new food offerings and60-plus additions to the beverage list. There are additional new tastes and sips in the festival center and other locations.

Each year Epcot executive chef Jens Dahlmann and his culinary team up the ante with authentic tastes at the more than 35 ethnic and specialized marketplaces that line the World Showcase. Last year's hit was Australian: Grilled lamb chops slathered with mint pesto and pressed with potato crunchies made from smashed salt- and vinegar-flavored chips. And in 2005, South Africa's bredie, a stew with big chunks of pumpkin with cinnamon undertones, was perfect for fall palates.

So I had hope for the haggis and Scotland, the new kid on the showcase block. Turns out that the haggis will be vegetarian and offered along with Scottish salmon and spirited beverages including a Loch Lomond cocktail and a Scotch-whisky flight from the Glenfiddich distillery.

This year's lineup also brings Brazil back to the theme park's culinary map with new offerings such as crispy pork belly with black beans and Xingu Black beer. Also new: The griddled lobster tail with sizzling garlic butter at Hops & Barley Marketplace by American Adventure, and South Korea's spicy kimchi hot dog with a fabulous snap to the meat and kick that slowly blooms in the mouth.

Dahlmann's choice of a vegetarian haggis is brilliant. True haggis — a Scottish national dish at once reviled and respected — is a dish crafted from sheep organs that are chopped up, mixed with suet, onions, oatmeal, seasonings and boiled in the sheep's stomach. Modern variations are prepared in a sausage casing and some often include pork.

Vegetarian haggis recipes call for beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, nuts and vegetables in place of the meat. The Disney dish is tender with nice texture and a nutty flavor. It would make an excellent replacement for potatoes or hash browns on a brunch menu.

"We wanted to make an authentic taste that would appeal to the most people," says Dahlmann. "The vegetarian offering is a great way to experience haggis for the first time."

For dessert, the Epcot team has come up with a Scottish banoffeetart with bananas, Scotch whisky, toffee, crumbled shortbread and luscious sweet cream. It's simply cheek-tinglingly good.

The festival is one of the first Disney World venues to serve wine on tap under a new Florida law that allows the beverage to be dispensed from sustainable stainless-steel containers. A cabernet and chardonnay will be served at the Festival Center and pinot gris and pinot noir at Epcot's Cool Post snack stand.

Today at OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish, check out my tasting notes for nine new festival items including frozen s'mores served at the Desserts & Champagne kiosk and berbere-style beef served at the Africa marketplace. I'll also have comments on wine and spirit pairings for five of the new dishes.

In the meantime, do not fear the haggis. Picking and choosing from the global buffet is much more daunting.

•Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog in Future World returns for a third year to introduce families to the cranberry's agricultural heritage; open during regular theme park hours.

•Culinary demonstrations at Festival Center with celebrity chefs such as Cat Cora, Buddy Valastro and Jamie Deen. Chef Carla Hall, host of ABC's "The Chew," will appear at the Festival Center on Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29 for a cooking demo. She'll also sign copies of her cookbook "Cooking with Love: Comfort Food That Hugs You" and make an appearance at a Sweet Sundays brunch event; times vary.

Cost: Included in theme-park admission, $90 for a one-day ticket and $84 for guests ages 3-9. That ticket includes Authentic Taste seminars, Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog, special book signings, Eat to the Beat concerts, cultural adventures, Marketplace Discovery Passport and all attractions and park entertainment.

Not included: Samples of globally inspired food and beverage menu items, with prices ranging between $3-$8 each